Second Chances
by magicmumu
Summary: Storybrooke is a buzz when a young woman crosses IN through the magical barrier looking for Mr. Gold. What does she want from him and what could she possibly have that Gold would want in return? Femslash (Claudia/Leena, Mr. Gold) Spoils All episodes for both shoes with some changes.


Second Chances

by Erin Griffin

Fandom: Warehouse 13/Once Upon A Time

Pairing: Cleena

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I just need to find ways to deal with my feels.

Unbeta'. All mistakes are my own. I really should be writting for Nanowrimo…

When Claudia Donovan walked past the barriers of the outer world without magic and into Storybrooke, there was a gasp of shock from Sleepy, who secured the area dilligently ever since he lost his brother to the magic there. Other dwarves watched the other entrances and exits just as so, in case anyone had plans to leave or force anyone else out of Storybrook in the same fashion. No one had ever anticipated someone coming IN to Storybrook. The woman was young, no older than Ruby at the diner, and she dressed much like those in this time. In fact, she had a stripe of maroon to add to the natural red of her hair. "Lead me to Mr. Gold," she said when she saw Sleepy watching her in shock. When the man didn't move, she looked around. "This is where he lives, right? Storybrooke? Uber creepy town of fairytales?"

Sleepy frowned at this. Henry Mills once referred to them this way, but being as he was living this, he couldn't call himself a fairytale. That would imply that he wasn't real, and he was very much real. "He lives in Storybrooke, yes," Sleepy replied.

"Well, lead the way," Claudia said with a gesture. She raised an eyebrow when Sleepy looked at the path behind him that lead into the main town, and then back to the barrier where his post was.

"I-I shouldn't leave."

"Point the way, then- There?" Claudia asked, pointing where Sleepy looked before. The dwarf nodded. Claudia made some sort of salute to him and made her way to the path and out of sight. Sleepy wished he could have gone with her. Surely the rest of the town would be on him for weeks afterwards if they knew that he was the first to encounter this new woman. Still, how could she have known where Storybrooke was, let alone who lived within its borders? There was something about that woman. Though young, she saw so much. Even Dopey would see that.

Claudia huffed and puffed as she made her way into the main street of Storybrooke, where she knew to find Gold. She only had one thing in mind, and she knew what she must do to get it. Ever since she found out where these mysterious vanishing pings were coming from in this area in Maine, she had it. After Leena died, she knew she was obsessed with her search for what to do. She refused to use the Metronome again, but she had to find a way to bring Leena back. She would probably get chucked for the things she had done to find Storybrooke, which included using an artifact against Artie when he wouldn't tell her what was there and why they had never gone there if so many artifacts are held there. All he really had to say was 'for the same reason we never go to Haven', but since he never said that, she was pissed. The redhead went through the town ignoring the looks she got. She was a woman on a mission. She entered Gold's shop, smelling it as a fudge factory. As soon as she heard the ding on the door, the air changed, and she could smell apples. "I know," she cooed when she passed a globe that began to spin next to her.

A man stepped from the back and stared at her in somewhat of shock. He himself had only smelled this scent in his shop once before, and that was when Belle was there with him. He always got the sense that the shop liked her more than him, despite the fact that he was the master of the place. What shocked him more was the woman now in his shop. He had never seen her before, and she wasn't at all apart of anything he had planned, as all he wanted now was Belle back in his life. "What may I do for you?"

"Nice shop," Claudia said, looking around. She touched the base of the spinning globe and made a shushing sound, and the spinning slowed to a stop. It was something Mr. Gold had never seen before, and this young woman did it with such ease that it was apparent that she was no stranger to magic.

"I am proud of it, yes. What can I do for you Miss…?"

"Claudia," the young woman replied curtly. She took a step forward, but didn't go further than that. "I am here because rumor has it, you've got a firm hold on this town, and looking at the artifacts in this shop, it isn't hard to see why. I need something that can ressurect the dead."

"I don't think that can be done, dearie," Mr. Gold said, placing his cane firmly in place before him as he took in the sight of this woman.

Claudia's face harden as her head tilted to the side to regard him. The strip of maroon fell in front of her eyes, and the young woman stared him down in return. No one has ever looked at him this way before, not even Regina, though she tried, she really did. "I am the future caretaker of a place filled with endless wonder, and you, Mr. Gold, are a lying sack of shit."

The shop keeper's face was amused now. This woman impressed him, and she was something new. "Perhaps I did tell a little tall tale there, dearie. What do you plan to do about it?"

"Nothing. I was wondering. And now, I am going to walk right out of this town the same way I walked right in- Oh that's right. You all are stuck here, aren't you?" Claudia asked.

Mr. Gold's face shifted for the slightest of moments, but Claudia had been around Mrs. Fredrick long enough to see such change in emotion from someone who seemed to have none. The man did wonder how Claudia knew about Storybrooke, and the young woman did seem to know to find him and just what his shop held. And that globe… Mr. Gold had to believe that what Claudia was saying was true. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I just might have something you are interested in. You know, make use of all those maps you've got in here."

"How did you find this place?"

"It is what Ia m good at. It is my job."

"You find antiques like those in this shop?"

"I am better at finding people," Claudia bragged.

"Maybe we can make a deal."

"Not unless I get your word that you can help me find what I am looking for."

"And you help me find who I am looking for," Mr. Gold said.

Claudia seemed taken aback by this, but she nodded. "Fine. I will see what I can do. I need something that will raise the dead."

"I told you, there is nothing- NOTHING," the man said again when it looked like Claudia tried to protest "that wouldn't turn them into a monster. I'm sorry dearie."

Claudia took a step back once she saw that what Gold was saying was true. She leaned against the glass as if the man had pushed her there. "That… That can't be true.." Claudia said, stunned.

"Who was he?"

"She. She was…" Claudia let out a sob and turned away from him.

"She was your true love," Mr. Gold said.

"Yes."

"For her too?"

"I hope so." Claudia choked out.

Mr. Gold turned away from her then in thought. He felt he had to do his best to help this woman. After all, she found Storybrooke and she found him. Who was to say she couldn't find his son as well? "How long?"

"What?"

"How long as she been… gone?"

"Almost two months."

"And she's preserved somehow, I take it?"

"Of course," Claudia said in a not so kind tone.

"I had to make sure dearie. And… how did she die?"

"Leena was trying to stop Artie from going crazy and hurting himself or other people. It's… It's complicated."

"All love stories are," Mr. Gold murmured before he looked to Claudia again. "She died honorably, yes?"

"Yes."

"Give me a little bit of time to think this through. I hear Granny's has some delicious pie. Come see me in an hour."

Claudia stared at him hopefully and he had to look away. He didn't like being depended upon, not when he wasn't sure he could do anything to help. He liked having the upper hand, but he knew that he needed her more than she needed him, and he didn't like this feeling. "What can you do?"

"I don't know, but love can break any curse, I really believe this."

"Death is a curse?"

"It can be, yes. But as you say, she died honorably, and heroes always get that second chance, at least where I am from. If I can give her hers…" Mr. Gold turned away again and sighed. "But you must understand that I don't know this for sure, so please… Please leave my shop now so I can get to work."

"Okay. thanks at least- you know, for trying."

"Is she here too?"

"Um, no. She's safe outside of the border."

"Go retrieve her, and bring her under the clock. If you ask nicely, I am sure Miss Lucas will assist you in keeping guard."

An hour later, Mr. Gold exited his shop. He didn't need to know where the woman had gone. The whispers on the sidewalk was telling enough, but the crowd under the clock was the telltale sign he needed. He limped in that direction and saw a large box next to Claudia as well as a talk brunette man and woman, both of who stood before it with stern looks on their faces. Claudia was in the arms of a tall blonde man as she cried harder, and Ruby was speaking to the crowd that was coming slowly forward. "Miss Claudia," he said, which caused for the young woman to look at him hopefully, this time her face red with tears. "I'm sorry," he said. He watched as she broke down again, and stepped forward. "Listen to me," he said. He reached her and wiped a tear from her face. He brought it to the bottle in his hand and let it drip inside. "I'm sorry to do that to you, but I needed this." He held up the bottle. "Tears of Love." Mr. Gold looked to the brunette woman. "I need to be there," he said to her, gesturing the coffin Leena laid in.

Myka looked to Claudia, and only after getting a nod from her made her feet move one step to the side. Mr. Gold took something else out of his jacket pocket and unwrapped it. Myka looked over and saw what it was, a single pea. He placed it under Leena's body and then lifted her head. He then put a few drops of the 'Tears of Love' as he called it, in her mouth. Then he stepped back after gently placing her head back. He waved Claudia over as the bullet wound started to slowly disappear. Still, Leena was motionless. "Mr. gold-"

"Talk to her. Remind her why she lived," he said to Claudia.

Claudia looked at the woman she fell in love with, and recounted the many times they argued during inventory, the happy squeal Leena had let out when she finally beat Claudia, the random little memories, like the times Leena would stick a graham cracker in her mouth when her fingers were busy on the keyboard, or the serious memories, like the nights in the dark they spent debating whether they would ever want kids while they lived in the warehouse. "I haven't been living since you've been gone," Claudia said softly.

"Kiss her," Mr. Gold instructed, his voice no louder than Claudia's. The young woman did as told, and there was a warm wave of air that fell over the town, and Leena gasped awake. Claudia didn't even let her say anything, as she climbed into the coffin and took Leena in her arms. Mr. Gold let himself smile a small smile before he went back to his shop. That evening after he locked up, he saw a strange looking vest on his doorstep with a few maps under it and a sticky note telling him to call Claudia if he made it to South Dakota. He smiled again, this time with some hope, and he began to pack. "Here's to second chances," he said to himself.


End file.
